


Talitha Cumi

by 30xf



Series: 201 Days Of X Files [72]
Category: The X-Files
Genre: Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-19
Updated: 2016-09-19
Packaged: 2018-08-16 02:28:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8083114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/30xf/pseuds/30xf





	

The drive from Rhode Island is long and quiet. I drive the first shift, hoping Mulder will sleep. He doesn't, of course. He looks out his window mostly, occasionally resting his head on the cool surface and closing his eyes. I can tell by his posture though that he never succumbs to the tiredness in his limbs.

When we pull over at a rest stop, I get us each an iced tea from the vending machine. On my way back from the bathroom, I notice him sitting at a picnic table, talking on his phone. I approach quietly and wait; he's talking to the hospital, getting an update on his mother. He's sideways on the bench, the hand with the phone supported by his elbow resting on the table. His iced tea remains unopened. He hangs up the phone and slips it back into the inside pocket of his jacket. I can tell he doesn't know I'm behind him because he takes a moment to run a hand through his hair, and then over his face. His shoulders rise and fall with the heaviness of his sigh. 

He startles only a little when I ask, "Any change?"

He shakes his head, "Nothing." He doesn't look at me, only starts fidgeting with his can of iced tea.

I note that his shoulders somehow are both slumped and tense, and I can only imagine the kind of headache he's going to have by the time we get home. I step up behind him and rest a knee on the bench. Slowly but firmly, I begin a massage, from the back of his neck, out to his shoulders, and back again. Mulder grunts his approval, but makes little other notice of my attempt to relax him. As my hands continue their work, probably not doing much good through the thick material of his coat, I tell him, "I'm okay to drive for a while longer."

He shakes his head again, this time more carefully, so he doesn't discourage my massage. "You need some sleep. I'll drive the rest of the way."

I stop my hands then, if only to get his attention. "You haven't slept yet, Mulder."

"Neither have you, Scully." He turns to me then, causing my hands to fall away. Leaning back against the table, he opens his drink and takes a sip.

I sit next to him, straddling the bench so I can face him. "I want you to get some rest now, while you can. I assume you wanted to go back to Washington to follow up on a lead, so I know you won't sleep when we get there."

"If I'm following a lead, you're following a lead. You need rest just as much as I do. And I'm a little more accustomed to not sleeping." He pats my knee for a moment, slightly derisively, but I let it slide. "I'll be fine," he assures me as he leans forward, his forearms on his thighs.

I want to put an arm around him, but I don't. I want to tell him his mother will be okay, but I don't know that for sure. I want him to climb into the passenger seat and sleep the rest of the way to Washington, but I know he won't. So all I do is turn to face the same way he is, and lean my own forearms on my thighs. I end up so close that my left side, from shoulder to knee, is pressed against his right side. He doesn't move away, and I can feel some of the tension finally drain from his body.

A few minutes pass before he heaves a sigh and stands. I follow him to the car where he puts his hands out for the keys as he waits by the driver's side door. I reluctantly hand them over and get in the passenger side. "Wake me up in two hours so I can take over driving, okay?"

"I will," he assures me as my eyes close.

He doesn't wake me until we're pulling up in front of my apartment.


End file.
